My friend Leonard by James Frey
Published:  May 30th 2006 by Riverhead Books (first published 2005)
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir or some might say: Fiction. (Based on true events.)
Pages: 425

It’s been 12 years since I read the controversial “A million little pieces” which I actually quite enjoyed. I didn’t feel betrayed at all, I was entertained and that was all I wanted out of it.

Was his writing style as good now, 12 years later, as I remembered it back then? My answer to that is a resounding YES! I love his style of writing. I love the repetitions, the dialogue, the painful movements of all his actions and the great flow of it all. I love that he can throw a full page in with nothing but a sentence repeated twice. For effect. It accomplishes its desired effect on me.

Aside from all the literary effects that I adore, I also like his stories. They are borderline so outrageous that they play on the edge of what you believe is true or not. And here the scandal of his embellishments work in his favor.

 Since it keeps you guessing. Could this possibly be true? And you’ll never the exact truth to anything. I love that. Because sometimes life can be weirder than fiction. Sometimes things are so weird, they can’t possibly be anything but true!

This book picks up if I remember it correctly a little before the last one ends.(?) Is that right? They overlap a little. Which is needed to make this book able to stand on it’s own. I read A million little pieces over ten years ago, so I hardly remember details, and still thoroughly enjoyed this one.

In a million little pieces, James goes through rehab (amongst many other things) and there he meets Leonard. This book is about James’ relationship with Leonard and his getting back on his feet after rehab, something I feel, in some way Leonard helps him with, somewhat indirectly.

And along the way it’s honest, and real, and sad, and funny, and outlandish, and crazy, and stupid and everything else life could possibly be.

His books may fall under the “hate them or love them” category, and I for one, absolutely love them!